NFC South

Chapter 1 Introduction Everything seemed to be flowing that night. The conversation. The chemistry. The red wine. In the middle of an unforeseen January whirlwind, John Fox found himself at a familiar haunt — Fleming's in Englewood, Colo. — face to face with his improbable future. He was about to become coach of the Bears. Over steaks that night, Fox and new Bears general manager Ryan Pace let their rapport put the punctuation on a brief but energized courtship. "It was encouraging," Fox says, "to be on the same page so quickly." What a week. Just four evenings earlier, Fox had been coaching the Broncos in the AFC playoffs, seemingly...

Related "NFC South" Articles

Chapter 1
Introduction
Everything seemed to be flowing that night. The conversation. The chemistry. The red wine.
In the middle of an unforeseen January whirlwind, John Fox found himself at a familiar haunt — Fleming's in Englewood, Colo. — face to...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Prosecutors dismissed domestic violence charges against Panthers defensive end and soon-to-be free agent Greg Hardy on Monday after they said the accuser in the case couldn't be found.
The dismissal happened just as Hardy's appeal in...

ATLANTA -- Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has agreed to a five-year deal to become the Atlanta Falcons coach, a person familiar with the negotiations said on Monday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because...

Jordan Gross had little hesitation sharing his heartfelt endorsement of John Fox. For eight seasons, the former Pro Bowl offensive tackle had Fox as his head coach with the Carolina Panthers, a run that saw the team reach the Super Bowl in 2003, earn a...

SEATTLE -- Cam, meet Kam.
Now, say goodbye.
Seattle safety Kam Chancellor intercepted a pass by Carolina’s Cam Newton on Saturday and ran it back for a 90-yard score, putting an exclamation point on a 31-17 victory by the Seahawks in a divisional...

— If you believe in the idea that defense travels, you can't discount the .500 Panthers in the postseason.
Ron Rivera's swarming Panthers defense set an NFL playoff record in a 27-16 wild-card round victory Saturday at Bank of America Stadium, limiting...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you believe in the idea that defense travels, you can't discount the .500 Panthers in the postseason.
Ron Rivera's swarming Panthers defense set an NFL playoff record in a 27-16 wild-card round victory Saturday at Bank of America...

These teams have been headed in opposite directions, with the Panthers winning four in a row and the Cardinals losing four of six.
Because of injuries, the Cardinals are down to third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley, who threw his first two NFL touchdown...

Square one for George McCaskey and Ted Phillips was inside the Halas Hall news conference room on Monday. At the end of a dysfunctional 5-11 season, there they were, discussing another search for a general manager and coach.
It has been only three...

The Bears' purge Monday did not include most of Marc Trestman's coaching staff.
Only offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer was fired along with Trestman and general manager Phil Emery. Each assistant under contract for 2015 — including defensive coordinator...

Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith was fired Monday after completing a 6-10 campaign in 2014 and going 10-22 the past two seasons.
"Smitty's contributions to our club, team and city over the last seven years are numerous," owner Arthur Blank...

Welcome back to “The Blitz Package,” your weekly destination for notable news, nuggets and intriguing Chicago Bears storylines. This week’s topic: The end.
The Bears will play their 2014 season finale Sunday afternoon against the Vikings at TCF Bank...

Ten thoughts after the Chicago Bears fell 20-14 to the Detroit Lions on Sunday for their fourth consecutive loss.
1. In case of emergency, break glass. If you need a fire extinguisher, you can only hope it works after you break the glass. When you...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel left Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers after suffering a hamstring injury late in the first half, and the Panthers took a big step toward clinching a playoff spot with a 17-13...

The postseason is one "Kokomo Bowl" from becoming the next verse in a Beach Boys song: "Miami, Bahamas, come on pretty mamma, Camellia, and Boca, this is not a joke-a." Four new bowl games plus the extra championship game means the...

Jay Cutler seemed to spend more time chatting with Drew Brees on the field than he did with the local media after the Bears' 31-15 loss to the Saints on Monday night at Soldier Field.
"We were just talking about family and kids," Brees...